Precision Rifle: Ruger vs. Savage vs. Tikka

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Tophernj

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So I've done a bit of soul searching and it has led me to this: I can't justify the expense of a custom bolt action rifle. Maybe in a year or two, but right now the cost is just not palatable to me. I had a builder that I was speaking to about having a rifle built but the numbers simply don't work for me at this time. So, I've switched gears. I'm gonna go box-stock.

I'm betwixt and between 3 rifles, the new and much anticipated, internet melting Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5C, the Savage LRP in either 6.5C or, more likely 260Rem and the Tikka CTR in 260Rem.

Rifles will be paper punchers. Hopefully I'll be able to shoot a small, local match or two with it. If not, it's just a fun hobby. It'll be shooting regularly to 300 and hopefully to 1k if I can get to a semi-local range next year.

Any thoughts on these? I think the Ruger may be to new to really judge but the platform is VERY appealing. The Savage is a proven shooter but will need some tweaks to make it "perfect" to me. The Tikka is supposedly awesome but I worry about magazine costs and if I decide to upgrade the stock, manufacturers compatability. Initial purchase price is roughly the same for all 3 rifles.

Thanks in advance.
 
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That Ruger rifle does look very nice. However Im not a person who likes to be an early adopter of new things. The Savage is a much more traditional design and will have a lot more aftermarket support right now. Its a proven package. I personally would probably go with it over the Ruger as of now. In a few years once the Ruger has been field proven then maybe that will be a different story then.
 
I'd vote savage in 6.5cm. I wouldnt necessarily recommend a large shank one though as it will limit your choices when you re barrel it and add in some expense. However you cant go wrong. I plan on picking up the ruger when i can find one but i dont really expect it to shoot as well as the savage.
 
USMC-Johnson said:
I wouldnt necessarily recommend a large shank one though as it will limit your choices when you re barrel it and add in some expense. However you cant go wrong. I
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The LRP is, as I understand it, a large shank. Probably an unnecessary amount of heft in that caliber but it's there nonetheless. What is the cost differential between that and a small shank?

C
 
The Ruger looks really interesting to me, but I already have the CTR for paper punching purposes. I agree with your concern about the mag price for the CTR, but it is what it is I guess, and it does feed really well. Other than having expensive mags, I love the Tikka, for a <$900 right it is a phenomenal shooter, I don't have anything else like it and rifles don't stay in my cabinet unless they are shooters.
 
IMO, I think it's a joke to put Ruger and Savage in the same class as Tikka. A bad joke at that.

To each his own.
 
Gtscotty said:
Other than having expensive mags, I love the Tikka, for a <$900 right it is a phenomenal shooter, I don't have anything else like it and rifles don't stay in my cabinet unless they are shooters.
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+1. I've been very impressed with my CTR.

Your "hopefully to 1k" is a bit of a fly in the ointment, though - of your choices, the CTR's got a 20" barrel, robbing it of a bit of velocity. I haven't shot mine (also in .260rem) at 1k yards, so maybe it'd do alright with the right bullet. I know it'll reach out to 600-700 just fine, though.
 
You won't be disappointed with the Tikka. I have a T3 varmint in .308 and it's a great rifle to shoot, the bolt is very smooth and slick but the factory stock should be replaced if your budget allows.I have a KRG X-Ray which is very affordable and allows you to use AI .308 magazines without the need of further DBM installation. It sure as hell beats getting replacement magazines. (Pic related, my rifle).

IMAG0703.jpg

For 1k shooting you seriously can't go wrong with a 6.5mm. I have Remington 700 chambered in 6.5x47 Lapua and managed to get on target at 1,100 yards during the first shoot with it. I only needed to dial in 9,9mrad whereas my .308 requires 14mrad at 1,000 yards. So I second getting the 6.5 Creedmore as I'd expect brass/dies would be more affordable than say the 6.5x47 Lapua.
 
Besides the X-Ray stock above, Tikka actually has decent aftermarket support as far as stocks go. Manners makes several models for the Tikka, and I'm pretty sure McMillan and HS Precision do too. You certainly wouldn't be left high and dry.
 
I to am very interested in the Ruger. The AR compatibility is awesome and the reported performance is exciting. I will not be in the first wave of owners, but i expect production quality to match hype (since historically, Ruger has always delivered).

So putting aside the Ruger, I would vote/recommend the Tikka. I hear numerous glowing reports from happy owners.

Savage owners are happy too, but it seems on average they spend a little more time/money getting the savage to where they want it (mostly a new/lighter stock).

So if you don't want to wait, I would go with a Tikka. I will be waiting 6-9 months and then, barring horrific AARs on the Ruger, I will be going with the Ruger.

-Matt S.
 
USMC-Johnson said:
I'd vote savage in 6.5cm. I wouldnt necessarily recommend a large shank one though as it will limit your choices when you re barrel it and add in some expense. However you cant go wrong. I plan on picking up the ruger when i can find one but i dont really expect it to shoot as well as the savage.
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Most of the Savages are not offered in large shank. Most large shanks are for the WSM calibers. Not sure where you are getting info that it cost more for large shank vs standard shank, but ok.

The Ruger is an unknown...if you want to be a beta tester...knock yourself out. I never considered Ruger to be a precision rifle manufacturer.

Savage is going to give the user the option to upgrade down the road as a DIY project. But as much as I love Savage...their action feels horrible...especially since you are also considering the Tikka.

Tikka CTR in 260 is going to be ready to go without any upgrades. You are going to get the best action for a factory built rifle in Tikka. My biggest issue with the CTR is that it uses the the TRG mags, which are very pricey. I'm talking $160-180 per mag. If you get an MDT chassis for the Tikka, you can use AI/AI clone mags which are the industry standard and much less money. Most folks that have a mag system have spare mags.
 
aubie515 said:
My biggest issue with the CTR is that it uses the the TRG mags, which are very pricey. I'm talking $160-180 per mag. If you get an MDT chassis for the Tikka, you can use AI/AI clone mags which are the industry standard and much less money.
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I've read this before (buy a chassis and AI mags), but I still don't see where the math adds up. I agree the TRG mags are expensive, but by the time you buy a chassis, bottom metal and AI mags, you could've bought several TRG mags.
 
Let me pick up on that and ask a question that might be a bit off topic. I often see discussions on decisions about what rifle to purchase begin to center on the cost of magazines.

How many magazines do most people need? (I say need, not want)

I generally have 2 each for the rifles I own. One I use and one as a back up incase the first one fails.

Unless we're prepping for the zombie apocalypse or shooting in matches that require multiple mag changes during a timed event, do we really need more that 1 + 1?
 
aubie515 said:
Most of the Savages are not offered in large shank. Most large shanks are for the WSM calibers. Not sure where you are getting info that it cost more for large shank vs standard shank, but ok.
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I called Savage. The nice lady on the other end of the phone told me.

C
 
Just looked up the CTR Tikka. Other than the mag and barrel length difference is there any reason to go with the CTR over a Varmint model as a base for a precision rifle?
 
The CTR barrels are threaded...would save you $75-130 on threading it down the line. The finish is different as well...the CTR is a matte finish...might be parkerized while the Varmint is a gloss finish.
 
Large shank barrels come on the Short Magnum calibers,and all of the Target actioned Savage's. Everything else is a Small shank. As far as barrel replacement,there is no difference in price for either type,and anyone that produces pre-fit Savage barrels offers each type when you order one.
Tikka's are great rifles,I just wish us LH shooters had a better choice of what the powers that be at Beretta USA decide we can get to shoot from Tikka's catalog.
As far as the aftermarket stocks go,you can get many different styles for each brand.

The Tikka action is butter smooth,the Savage action isn't out of the box because of the design of it - Floating Bolt Head,but they do get really smooth after you use them for a while. I can operate all of my Savage bolts with one finger,but I do shoot them a lot.

It all comes down to what floats the shooter's boat as to which brand to buy,but you can't go wrong with the Tikka or Savage.
 
MrBorland said:
I've read this before (buy a chassis and AI mags), but I still don't see where the math adds up. I agree the TRG mags are expensive, but by the time you buy a chassis, bottom metal and AI mags, you could've bought several TRG mags.
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The factory Tikka stock is alright, but it's no where near the quality of a chassis system. The MDT LSS chassis is $400, so roughly two TRG mags. IMO, mags no matter for what firearm is a disposable item that will wear out. At $160-180 per mag...that's an expensive item to replace.

Don't get me wrong the TRG mags are nice, but just not $160-180 worth IMO. When I melted my TRG stock while refinshing it...it was less expensive for me to get an XLR chassis and use AI mags instead of replacing it with a factory TRG 42 stock and mags. I'm very happy that I made the decision to go with AI patterned mags.
 
C-grunt said:
Other than the mag and barrel length difference is there any reason to go with the CTR over a Varmint model as a base for a precision rifle?
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aubie515 said:
The CTR barrels are threaded...The finish is different as well
Click to expand...

The CTR also comes with an oversized bolt handle and a Picatinny rail. OTOH, the Varmint is available with 20" and 23.6" barrels, whereas the CTR is only available in 20".

BTW, maybe check out the Tikka T3 Sporter, too. It may not be your cup of tea aesthetically, but functionally it may be. Longer barrel than the CTR, adjustable stock, and an oversized bolt handle. If I knew I was going to drop a Tikka into a chassis for tactical precision-type shooting, I'd likely go with this before the varmint or the CTR. Or I'd just shoot it as-is. ;)
 
OP, (and note, there may be just a bit of bias in the following - but I do have other rifle brands; I just don't shoot 'em anymore).
The answer is Tikka. All other comments are simply incorrect (sorry, don't flame, I'm just being a wise guy). But really, the action of the Tikka bolt, the bedding, the accuracy is just a thing (things?) of beauty. Now here's your problem, they make a million of 'em in shape, caliber and weight.
The standard choice is the T3 Lite (plastic stock, lightest) - I own a LH one in .223 and it's a gem.
The next up is the T3 Hunter (wood stock, 1 lb heavier) - I wish I had bought one instead of the Lite even though they are operationally identical. It's, um, 'pretty'.
Then there's the 'I usually just go to the range or have a short hike to my deer (or other tag-worthy creature) stand. In that case, buy the Sporter. Stunningly beautiful laminated stock, heavy bull-ish barrel, great trigger (all Tikka's do), very adjustable stock. Scary accurate and repeatable. If you miss your POA with this rifle, you will have to dig deep for an excuse.
Then there's their sniper models that go for $3K-$6K. I've chosen not to look at them. I currently have a solid marriage.
B
 
I am biased when it comes to factory rifles, I'd go the savage lrp route... I have one in the 6.5cm and it will out shoot my growing abilities. All you need is a cheek rest and you're ready to go... mine loves the 123gr amax over 42gr 4350, very accurate combo!
 
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